Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/03/30
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Robert, I think Paul's "miss" could be due to either shyness (my affliction) or simply the relative lack of familiarity with the M6 (as this was only his 6th roll). As others have suggested, the best solution to the latter problem is to get used to keeping the lens focused at infinity or at the hyperfocal distance. The "shyness" problem is more severe. You are right in pointing out that most of my market pictures do not involve direct eye contact. This is simply because most of the people I include are either engaged in a transaction or are perusing the goods on offer. I will readily admit that when I am shooting on the street, I too have a very difficult time doing what you are suggesting. I am working at it, but find this the single most difficult aspect of photography. In February I was in a town called Binche, about 50km south of Brussels, to photograph the carnival celebrations. It is basically a giant street party, with people dressed up in funny costumes, everybody slightly drunk and having a good time. I walked amid this crowd with my M6 and 35mm lens and got several good pictures of people at distances of 1-2 meters. I also took some pictures using my 75mm lens, but funny enough, it is the pictures taken with the 35mm--which forced me to get close--that are the best of the bunch. A carnival is a special occasion and a good place for us shy types to practice--after all, when a 50-year old guy with a moustache puts on a pink Victorian dress and hat and dances around in public, he is obviously prepared to be noticed and photographed. Nathan Robert G. Stevens wrote: > Paul: > > I see this as common with a lot of the lug members. They miss shots like > this because the are just too shy to put the camera up, focus and take the > picture, let alone ask the subject if you could take their picture. > Perhaps you could have asked her to take her picture and then taken your > time to compose and focus. For example, Nathan Wajsman that posted a web site > > http://members.xoom.com/wajsman/belgium.htm > > showing some pictures taken at markets in Belgium. I think in only one > picture ,Tongeren 10, there were people facing the camera and eye contact. > > I too am shy, but just try my best. If I don't get eye contact in the > picture, it just gets filed in the garbage unless there are other merits to > it. My web page has some examples of this in the Noctilux, Trip, and Baby > picture section (nurse shot) all have example of the eye contact I am > talking about. > > http://home.istar.ca/~robsteve/photography/index.htm > > Regards, > > Robert - -- Nathan Wajsman Overijse, Belgium General photo page: http://members.tripod.com/belgiangator/index.html Belgium photo page: http://member.xoom.com/wajsman/index.htm Motorcycle page: http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/downs/1704/index.html